EDUBELIFE – ACCOMPANYING THE NATIONAL TOURISM STARTUP PROGRAM 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic once again swept across Vietnam. During its second wave, the outbreak evolved with even greater complexity, calling for stronger solidarity among the Vietnamese people and the Government—transforming concern into decisive, practical action.
Beyond strictly implementing the Government’s effective disease-prevention measures, citizens and enterprises alike continued to research, innovate, and redesign their ways of working, producing, and doing business, in order to remain resilient in the “new normal” and to rebound strongly in the post-pandemic period.

Against this backdrop, the Vietnam Tourism Startup Program (VTS) was launched during the pandemic, embodying a proactive and resilient mindset in response to the unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19.

The VTS program has been designed, organized, and operated by Songhan Incubator (SHi) since 2017, with a long-term vision of building Vietnam’s first large-scale, innovation-driven incubation ecosystem for tourism and service startups. The program aims to nurture technology-based and innovative startups, generating new products, new services, new markets, and fresh growth momentum for Vietnam’s tourism and service industries.

After three years of implementation, VTS has established a strong reputation as a high-impact acceleration program, supporting standout projects such as:

• VEO, which successfully raised VND 5.7 billion from Shark Thuy;
• Liberzy, which raised VND 2 billion in technology investment and grew to over 200,000 users within nearly two years;
  alongside many other promising ventures gaining traction and public attention, including Sach Chuyen Tay, Hue Lotus Homestay, Nguoi Giu Rung, Shipway, Testuru, Taxi Go, and others.

In this meaningful initiative, EDUBELIFE participates as a Strategic Partner, providing training and advisory services in finance and business management for Songhan Incubator (SHi) and the VTS program.

SHi ACCELERATOR JOURNEY – VTS 2020

Project recruitment for VTS 2020 took place from July 16, 2020 to August 24, 2020.

Selected projects participated in a three-month acceleration journey, consisting of six bootcamps held across Northern, Central, and Southern Vietnam. The program included intensive training sessions, pitching, mentoring, and networking, with senior startup experts from Vietnam and abroad, supporting startups in:

• strengthening operational capabilities,
• entering and expanding markets,
• commercializing products,
• mobilizing resources, and
• attracting investment.

OPPORTUNITIES & BENEFITS

Participants gained access to:

• In-depth training and coaching from leading experts within SHi’s startup ecosystem in Vietnam and internationally.
• Expanded professional networks and practical insights from lecturers who are successful founders, experts, and investors, with proven products and investment track records.
• Market access support and investor connections, including introductions to startup-focused investment funds.
• Investment opportunities of up to USD 100,000 per project.
• Referrals and nominations to national and international startup programs such as Shark Tank Vietnam, the National Tourism Startup Competition, TechFest, and others.
• Post-graduation accompaniment, focusing on market development, fundraising, market expansion strategies, exit strategies, and connections to international investment and market networks.

SELECTION CRITERIA

➤ Innovative startups and enterprises that have been legally established but have not yet fully developed their markets or operational models, and that lack sufficient capacity or resources for growth—facing challenges in business models and strategic direction.

➤ Operating in tourism and service sectors such as travel, food & beverage, accommodation, and tourism-related fields including logistics, training, media, destination environment, and management—with priority given to projects applying Industry 4.0 technologies or innovation-driven solutions.

➤ Founders and teams who are fully committed to their mission and objectives, willing to listen, learn, and continuously adapt their mindset and vision to create meaningful breakthroughs for their enterprises.

Vietnamese startups—let us together embrace a new mindset and be ready to drive the sustainable development of Vietnam’s tourism industry.

**JOIN EDUBELIFE – ACCOMPANYING THE NATIONAL TOURISM STARTUP PROGRAM 2020

PROACTIVELY ADAPTING AND GROWING AMID THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC**

 

17/12/2025